Xie Xuanzhao held the willow fairy, who was like a small heater, in his arms. To prevent her from moving around again, he simply pressed down her feet and hugged her slender arms tightly, holding her completely in his arms before he fell asleep peacefully.
Liu Qinglan was soundly asleep, about to stretch her limbs as usual, when someone pinned her down, preventing her from moving. She moved a few times, but couldn't free herself. Normally, if someone disturbed her sleep, she would have swatted them. But now, smelling the beauty queen's scent, she felt at ease and transformed herself back into a kitten. She curled up her tail and limbs, snuggled deep into Xie Xuanzhao's arms, and continued to sleep soundly.
It was dawn, and Xie Xuanzhao, preoccupied with something, didn't sleep deeply, waking up early. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth in his embrace. The corners of her mouth curved, and she subconsciously lowered her head to kiss him.
Hmm...what's going on with this mouth of hair!
Xie Xuanzhao didn't get to kiss the little beauty's cherry-red lips, but instead got poked by her fluffy fur. She opened her eyes and looked helplessly at the kitten in her arms. No wonder she was so quiet in the second half of the night; she had actually transformed into her original form.
The beautiful queen, who failed to steal the kiss, reached out and rudely pulled the cat's ears in front of her, then grabbed the long white tail and stroked it from the end to the tip.
Liu Qinglan hummed as his fur was stroked, and he was reluctant to open his eyes. He lay on his back with his paws raised like a little kitten.
Xie Xuanzhao couldn't help but move closer to her, "Quickly change back to human form."
"..." Liu Qinglan obediently changed back into her young girlish appearance, and then...
Xie Xuanzhao touched the naked, white body under his hands, and a surge of evil fire rose in his heart.
It's so exciting to come here so early in the morning. What a little goblin~
Liu Qinglan deliberately turned over and moved closer to her, still with his eyes closed, mumbling, "I'm cold, hug me."
Xie Xuanzhao covered her snow-white body with a small blanket, but kept his hands under the blanket. He hugged her tightly as he said, letting her hold on to him with her limbs as if he were a tree trunk like a sloth.
"It's late autumn and the frost is falling early in the morning. The weather is very cold. You'd better put on some clothes first to avoid catching a cold."
Instead, Liu Qinglan hugged her even tighter, burying his head in her soft chest and rubbing it, while saying as a matter of course: "I'm a fairy, I'm not afraid of the cold."
"You forgot, you got sick from playing in the water last time in the palace. It shows that you fairies can get sick too." Xie Xuanzhao stroked her smooth back and urged her to put on her clothes quickly.
The woman's body was soft and gentle, slender and well-proportioned. They clung to each other like this, sharing warmth. I'm afraid something bad was bound to happen sooner or later.
Liu Qinglan looked at the faint light of the sky outside the window, and had no choice but to transform into clothes as she was told, and then crawled out of the small blanket. Her long hair, which she had not had time to tie up, was scattered on her waist like ink, and flowed on Xie Xuanzhao's frosty white wrist, with clear black and white.
Xie Xuanzhao leaned back on the pillow, smiling at this. "Let's wash up. Since there are no maids to serve us, let's dress up and comb our hair together before going out to do our business."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qinglan looked at the beauty queen carefully. The beauty in front of him, who had just woken up, still had a hint of sleepiness between her eyebrows. She was only wearing a snow-white undershirt, the lapels of which were a little wrinkled due to the kneading of his claws. Her originally elegant makeup was now half-damaged, which was very different from her usual dignified and solemn appearance. She exuded a lazy style and charm.
The two of them got out of bed, put on their clothes, and then sat in front of the bronze mirror. They combed each other's hair and put on wooden hairpins.
Since they were out and about, they forgot to wear rouge and powder. Liu Qinglan rarely wore makeup. Her skin was naturally fair and tender, and she looked just like her usual self. So, when she looked at the beautiful queen reflected in the bronze mirror, she was suddenly mesmerized.
The Empress's face was pure without makeup, just like a refreshing frost flower. She lacked the usual glamour, but had a touch of grace like the wind and snow. Her sparkling phoenix eyes became even more eye-catching, reserved and deep.
Xie Xuanzhao raised her hand to adjust the wooden hairpin on her bun, then looked at herself in the bronze mirror. She couldn't help but sigh, "It's been a long time since I've dressed so simply. It feels like I've returned to my days as a young lady."
When Liu Qinglan saw this familiar wooden hairpin, she couldn't help but reach out and touch it. Then, an idea came to her mind, and an identical wooden hairpin appeared on her bun.
The two smiled at each other in tacit understanding, and then went out together.
The morning light was breaking outside, but the chill of the night still lingered.
Seeing this, Liu Qinglan quickly conjured up a snow-white cloak covered in a layer of fluffy fur. She stood on tiptoe and put it on the beautiful queen who had forgotten to bring her cloak. "This is made from the hair I shed every day. Now I give it to you."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuanzhao reached out and touched the fine fur, as white as fresh snow. It was indeed a familiar feel. She couldn't help but ponder, then asked, "It takes quite a lot of hair to weave this cloak. Qinglan, are you suffering from hair loss? I should ask the imperial physician for some prescriptions to nourish your hair when I get back."
Liu Qinglan: ...
I don't stay up late and I don't have any worries, so who would suffer from hair loss? She is recognized for having thick hair!
"This cloak is made of fur that has accumulated for hundreds of years. I rarely shed hair, really!" To prove his innocence, Liu Qinglan followed the beauty queen, clenching his little fist to prove himself.
Seeing the bristling Willow Fairy, the Beauty Queen realized she had made a mistake, so she personally drew a basin of well water for her and said with a smile, "I misunderstood. Kittens don't shed."
That was more than enough. Liu Qinglan bent down with peace of mind and scooped up a handful of water. Halfway through washing, Xie Xuanzhao beside him suddenly said, "Well, it's been sitting there for hundreds of years. Will it go bad?"
"..." Liu Qinglan quickly pulled a corner of the cloak and sniffed fiercely, "No, it smells like the warm sunshine."
It seemed that it had been exposed to the sun a lot, so Xie Xuanzhao felt relieved and finally stopped teasing this furry cat.
After washing with well water, Xie Xuanzhao looked up at the gloomy sky and said, "It might rain soon. We should bring an umbrella."
"Ordinary umbrellas will soon be corroded by this evil rain, so you'd better take my umbrella with you, which can help you block some of the rain." Huai Dan's voice came from behind. At his feet, in addition to the herbs he picked last night, there was also a basket of red umbrellas.
Xie Xuanzhao and Liu Qinglan walked over and looked into the frame. The herbs had been ground into powder and wrapped in paper to make medicine bags.
Huai Dan explained, "We'll just put the medicine bag into boiling water and cook it for a while, and it will become a decoction. There are too many patients in town, and this little bit of herbs is definitely not enough, so we can only recycle them until every last bit of the medicinal properties are boiled away, and then we'll be willing to throw away the residue."
"I see. Mr. Huai, you've really taken the trouble. This matter should have been handled by the imperial court." Xie Xuanzhao took the initiative to pick up the basket of herbs. "I'll go with you to deliver the herbs first, and then go to the government office to inquire about the matter."
Huai Dan nodded, "Okay."
Liu Qinglan held the basket of red umbrellas in one hand and opened one with the other, blocking Xie Xuanzhao's head. "I am a fairy, I am not afraid of the rain. Beautiful sister, I will hold the umbrella for you, you go forward boldly."
Xie Xuanzhao couldn't help laughing, but in a hurry, he didn't bother to joke with her and stood under her red umbrella.
The streets of Qingfeng Town are paved with bluestone slabs. It has been raining a lot recently, and moss has grown on the roadside. It was rainy all the way, the sky was dark, and there were few people around. It was quite cold and deserted.
Occasionally, a pedestrian would come by, holding a bright red umbrella in his hand. When he saw Huai Dan, he would bow respectfully and greet him, then pull his clothes tightly together and hurried home.
Huai Dan took them to an abandoned temple. The temple was filled with people infected with the plague, and wailing was everywhere. Several people dressed as doctors were running around, very busy, and the scene was very desolate.
Liu Qinglan, holding a red umbrella, gazed curiously at the desolate world. As soon as she descended the mountain, she entered the magnificent palace, where everything she saw was filled with flowers and festivities. Thus, in her mind, this world was truly a place of prosperity and bustle. Now, witnessing this, she realized that this world also had a side that was as terrifying and silent as hell.
Xie Xuanzhao noticed the emotions of the little goblin next to him. He knew that she was not very worldly-wise and now she was suddenly faced with such a tragic situation. She must be a little uncomfortable.
She handed the basket of herbs to the doctor's apprentice who had come to meet her, asked a few questions, and then looked at Liu Qinglan. "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the normal state of human life. Since you have chosen to live in the human world, you must learn to face these things."
Liu Qinglan looked at the beautiful queen in front of her. She knew death, but she had never experienced it so directly. She suddenly felt a little sad, "Beautiful sister, will you feel the same way?"
This is nonsense, and she knows it.
Xie Xuanzhao patted her on the back, calmly saying, "Yes, I will also age and get sick. When I am lying in bed unable to move, I may need you to take care of me. Are you willing?"
"Of course I will take care of you, but when I think of that scene, I want to cry." Liu Qinglan couldn't help but hold her hand. Being here, things that he hadn't thought about before all came to his mind.
Xie Xuanzhao squeezed her fingers firmly. "We all have to go through all kinds of situations in life, including joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. It may be painful, but as long as we think of it as the training of our lives, when we reach the end and look back, we will feel that our lives have been wonderful. Often, it's not just the moments of joy that are deeply engraved in our hearts, but also the tears we shed and the hardships we tasted. Only then can life be complete."
Liu Qinglan stared at her blankly, tears still in his eyes. "But I hope you can live a very long life like me, and not get old, sick and die so soon."
Xie Xuanzhao reached out and gently wiped away her tears. "You forgot, we've already formed a bond, so we'll be able to meet again soon and start a new life. Isn't it better to think this way than to remain unchanged for thousands of years?" She lowered her eyes and looked at her seriously. "As long as you don't forget to come find me."
While Liu Qinglan said that it was definitely not the case, he was thinking in his heart that the Peach Blossom Demon had been guarding Tao Xi for so many generations, maybe he could learn something from her.
She had never encountered human death before and had no feelings about it, but now that she had, she realized it was much more tragic than she had imagined. She could no longer sit idly by and numbly accept the status quo.
Liu Qinglan held a red umbrella and stood under the lingering autumn rain, thinking that there must be a way!
The author has something to say: I've already imagined a 100,000-word, slightly sadistic story in my head, but what I'll end up writing will definitely be a slightly sweet story!
Remember the slogan: Sweet enough to kill, eh~
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